Container



Feb. 18, 1941. H ZELL 2,232,504

CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1959 INVENTOR. DA v/0 Z EL L ATTORNEY.

BY wiz w Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE 2,232,504 CONTAINER David H. Zell, Brooklyn, N y. Application Apriizs, 1939, Serial No. 270,222

2Claims. (crisp-46) This inventionrelates to containers, and. more particularly to a container of the type having a section embodying a marginal metallic frame member of desired configuration and an outer decorative sheet of fabric, leather or other flexible material, the general object and purpose of the invention being to provide simple, easily applied and highly efficient means for quickly and securely attaching the marginal edge portionsof said decorative sheet to the metallic frame member. 1

A more particular object of the invention resides in the provision of a continuous rigid metal member corresponding in general form to the frame member of the case section and over which the marginal edges of the flexible sheet are inwardly turned, together with a highly compressible cushioning strip'adapted to transmit uniform holding or clamping pressure throughout the edge portions of said flexible material as said rigid metal member and the frame member are moved towards each other, and coacting parts on said members for locking the, same against relative movement under the expansive pressure of said cushioning strip.

In one embodiment of the invention the cushioning strip may be in the form of an ornamental rope or strand visible at the edges of the container section and having high frictional adhesion with the fabric or leather sheet resisting relative movement of the latter under high strain. In another embodiment strips of elastic material may be applied to the marginal edge portions of the flexible sheet and then folded inwardly thereon and then interposed between the container frame and the cooperating rigid metal clamping member. I

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved container, and

in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the subioined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have shown several simple and practical embodiments of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional type of container'provided with my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section, on 5 an enlarged scale of one of the container sections and showing the relative arrangement of the parts prior to final assembly.

Fig; 3 is a similar View illustrating the interlocked relation of the parts after final assembly,

Fig. 4 isa bottom plan view of the frame 5 member of the container section,

Fig- 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of the device, and,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the decorative flexible sheet having the cushioning means as shown in 10 Fig. 5 applied thereto.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown my invention asappliedto a conventional type of container such as is commercially used for compacts, cigarette cases and the like and which 15, embodies the two sections, generally indicated at 5 and B respectively, hingedly connected with each other as at I.

One or both of the container sections may embody a continuous marginal frame of sheet 20 metal, of anydesired configuration, said frame I having a top flange 8 and a comparatively narrow. downwardly extending flange 9 at the inner edgethereof disposed substantially at right angles to the plane of the flange 8. The free edge 25 f the flange 9- alongeach side of the frame is provided at suitably spaced points with the out-'- wardly struck lips In for a purpose which will be presently explained.

The outer open side of the metal frame mem- 30 ber above described, is adapted to be covered by an ornamental or decorative sheet of fabric, leather or othersuitablematerial indicated at H. The-outer marginal edges l2 of this sheet areturned: inwardly over and upon the continu- 35 ous rigid metal member l3 conforming in contourto the frame member of the case section and having a width approximately equal to that of the flange 8. Preferably, a relatively stiff sheet of cardboard, fiber or other material indicated at 40 I4, extends over the inner surface of the decorative sheet H and has its edge portions interposed between said sheet and the metal member l3. i

It has been found in practice that it' is exceed- 45 ingly diflicult to secure a direct clamping or holding pressure of the flange 8 and member [3 upon opposite sides of the edges 12 of the sheet. H, which will effectively preventsaid edge portions of the sheet from being pulled outwardly 0 between the metal surfaces when said sheet is subjected to high tensile strain. This is due to the fact that the clamping pressure is non-uniform. I have found however, that such uniformity of clamping and holding pressure upon the edge of the flexible sheet may be obtained by the use of a suitable cushioning means. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing this cushioning means may comprise a continuous cord or strand l5 of compressible fibrous material. Normally this strand is of substantially circular cross-sectional form and is inserted between the edge portions l2 of the sheet H and the flange 8 of the container frame. When the rigid metal member I3 is forced under pressure towards the flange 8, the cord I5 is flattened out and subjected to a high degree of compression as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Therefore said flattened cord has an extensive surface area in contact with the edge portion l2 of the flexible sheet and ofiers very high frictional resistance to any relative outward movement between the edges of said sheet and the member |3.- This compressible cord or cushion will thus transmit absolutely uniform pressure to the edges of the flexible sheet entirely around the container frame and tightly clamp the same at all points upon the surface of the member I3. At the end of the compressing action, the lips ill on the flanges 9 of the container frame look over the inner edges of the member 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and therefor preclude any possibility of relative movement between said frame and the member I3 under the expansive pressure of the cushioning strip or cord l5.

If desired the compressible cord or strip I5 may be made of suitably colored or ornamental materials so that when it is compressed and flattened out, it will be visible at the outer edges of the container sections and thus enhance the ornamental appearance of the container.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a slight modification, in which instead of providing the compressible cushioning means in the form of an independent element as above described I may provide elastic strips or tapes indicated at l6 adhesively or otherwise permanently attached to one side of the flexible sheet ll along the marginal edges thereof. In applying said sheet these taped edges are first folded inwardly on the sheet, and said folded edges as shown at I! in Fig. 5, are then positioned between the flange S of the container frame and the metal clamping member 13. Thus after the two parts are 0 forced together under pressure and locked in final position by the lips ID as above explained,

the elastic tapes IE will be placed under compression and by their expansive action will uniformly urge the parts of the sheet ll between which said tapes are positioned into tight frictional contact with the flange 8 and the member l3 respectively, to thus insure the retention of the edges of said flexible sheet in permanently connected relation to the container frame. By reason of such uniformly distributed pressure and the large areas of surface contact of the parts of the flexible sheet with the opposed metal surfaces, liability of said edge portions being pulled outwardly and being separated from the container frame under any'tensile strains to which the flexible sheet might be subjected in the use of the container is obviated.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and inexpensive means whereby the ornamental outer cover sheet for the frame section of the container may be easily, quickly and securely attached thereto and the possibility of portions of said sheet at its marginal edges becoming loose or disconnected from the frame, as is a more or less common occurrence when adhesives or the ordinary clinching or clamping hold of opposed metallic members is employed, is practically precluded. Of course, it will be evident that the device as herein described may be advantageously employed in connection with different types of containers and of various other shapes and sizes than that illustrated in the drawing. Further While I have herein referred to two simple and serviceable embodiments of the compressible cushioning means, other equivalent means subserving the same purpose and functioning substantially as herein described may also be employed.

I claim:

1. In combination, a container section comprising a continuous frame member of angular form in cross-section having an upper horizontal flange and a depending flange at its inner edge, a sheet of non-metalic flexible material on one side of said container section, a rigid clamping member corresponding in contour to the container section and surrounding said depending flange, the marginal edges of said flexible sheet extending around and engaging the upper side of said clamping member adjacent said horizontal flange, cushioning means engaged with said marginal edges of the cover sheet placed under compression by movement of said container section and clamping member towards each other, and applying uniform linear pressure throughout the marginal edges of said cover sheet, and means on said flange of the container section coacting with the inner edges of said clamping member to lock said section and member together against relative movement under the expansion of said cushioing means.

2. In combination, a container section comprising a continuous sheet metal member of angular form in cross section having a body portion constituting a side of said frame member for face to face contact with the corresponding portion of a complementary frame member, said body portion at its inner edge having an inwardly projecting flange, a rigid clamping member corresponding in contour to the container section, a sheet of flexible material covering the opposite side of the container section and having its marginal edges turned inwardly around the outer edge of said clamping member to conceal the latter, and cushioning means engaging a side of said inturned flexible material and placed under compression, between the clamping mem-.

her and body of the frame member, in the assembly of said clamping member in surrounding relation to the flange on said frame member, said flange and the inner edge of the clamping member having coacting means to lock the same together against relative movement under expansion of said cushioning means.

DAVID B. ZELL. 

